West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-22
A NIGHT WATCH IN ALGERIA.
A Terrible Conflict Between Jealous
LiOnS--A LiOneSS Fight for Life.


it can realize the excitement caused
by witnessing a hand-to-hand con-
fliCt between two savage, untamcd
beasts. | have witnessed bull-fghts
in Mexico, and seen a python crush
the life out OF calf in South Amer
lea, but never gazed on more
thrilling episode than on one hot
Algerian night at a water pool about
200 miles in the interior. Beside
the pool were several trees of fair
size. in the branches of one of which
had been placed q small platform,
hidden among the clustered leaves,
from which hiding place it was con
venient to shoot any animals that
might come to the pool to drink
during the night. Thither repaired,
one evening soon after sundown,
Maccoyvoy and myself, accompanied
by his Arab servant, young fellow
named Asilla, who bore our spare
guns and acted as general factotum
for Us both on expeditions of this
nature. 1t is difficult for me, in my
cooler moments, to climb a tree, and
the smooth, straight stem proved
extremely troublesome to swarm.
However. with the help Of Mac and
Asilla, | managed it, and secured q
comfortable perch. They followed
with great facility, being both slight,
active men, and at once made the
guns ready.
The moon rose gradually, and |
had Il good opportunity to study
perfect silence. Nothing can be
more deeply silent than still night
in the desert. AS there is little or
no vegetation on these vast oceans
of sand, there is no insect life, and
for several hours after the moon rose
absolute silence reigneG. We did
not speak. There was no wind. 1t
seemed as if there was no living
thing in that widespread expanse Of
country. | was beginning to feel
sleepy and nod frequently, when a
prolonged roar sounded close at
hand. In an instant we were wide
awake and grasped our guns nerous-
lv. At the next instant the roar was
answered from q location immedi-
ately beneath us. On looking down
we saw liOness, lying on her belly,
her head between her paws, and her
long tail waving luXuriously to and
fro. She looked like huge cat en-
ioying some pleasureable sensation.
Almost instantly a third "wOOf!
woofw sounded at our backs. "Gad,
Docw breathed Mac, I'VE are in for
a bay tO-nightw and q moment later
two magnificent males stepped slow
ly and majesticaIly into view. The
female continued to purr and wave
her tail gently.
As soon as the two lions spied
each other, they prepared for action.
Slowly and carefully they neared
each other, the lioness meanwhile
watching them as cat does a
mouse. Closer and closer they drew,
while we, spellbound, reserved our
fire to witness the terrible duel that
was impending.
And now they crouch, and with
mutual roars OF rage spring at each
other, and, meeting in midleap, fall,
biting and tearing to the earth. We
can hear their bones crush between
their powerful jaws like egg shells
beneath a mans boot heel. The
lioness, maintaining her tranquil at
titude, watched the conflict, as it
seemed to my excited eyes, with a
devilish smile ON her face. Over
and over they rolled, while the sick
en:ng sound of champing bones filled
the air, mingled with their frantic
roaring and the movement of their
bodies as they thrashed through the
sand. BY this time my
nerves were so wrought up that /
could stand the terrific spectacle no
longer, and taking deliberate aim ut
the lioness, behind her shoulder
blade, let fly. Above the rumble
of the smOoth-bore sounded the
shrek of the liOness, as the heavy
ball crashed into her vitals. The
two duelists at once ceased their en-
counter, and, as one of them turned,
he received Maccovoy's rifle bullet
in the head, the missile piercing the
hollow of the eye where the skull is
weak and entering the brain: death
was almost instantaneous. The
other male with q laundering
'woof" gave mighty spring and
landed half way up the tree trunk,
nearly shaking Us from our perch.
Asllla hastily discharged one OF the
spare guns slap bang in his face
but probably the charge only grazed
him, for falling back he disappeared
into the darkness toward where the
means Of the liOness grew fainter
and fainter every moment.
The moon being on the wane, after
all sounds had ceased we returned
TO camp, with many promises to
each other to take up :he spoor of
our wounded enemies in the morn
ing and track them to their death
Accordingly, at daybreak. with
party Of fifty Arab Deaters, We re
turned to the stand" and were soon